July 13, 2012

Tour de France Stage 12 - Preview and Results

Stage 12 from Saint-Jean-de-Mauriene to Annonay Davézieux is another difficult day in the Alpsat 226km or 140 miles and three (3) categorized climbs. This is especially after Stage 11 to La Toussuire, which is sure to have left mark on the riders.

Witness Janez Brajkovic's power file for the day. Janez had a good day, finishing 8th on the stage and now sitting in 8th overall. But it was not without a significant cost. Not only did he expend nearly 4,800 calories, his training stress score (TSS) for the day was a remarkable 386 points. That's the physiological equivalent of 3.86 0ne-hour time trials! And surely, he was not the only rider to have expended that kind of effort. As a result, the top riders in Stage 11, most of whom are now contenders for the general classification, will want to take it as easy as possible on today's stage.

How you take it easy over 140 miles featuring (2) category 1 climbs to start with a category 3 at the finish is beyond this commentator!

Tour de France Stage 12 from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Annonay Davézieux pretty much unfolded on script. A big break with no riders threatening to the general classification got away early, and the peloton, lead by Team Sky and Yellow Jersey Bradley Wiggins was happy to let them go. Eventually, the large group dwindled to a core group of five, one of which was the wiley veteran, David Millar from Garmin-Sharpe. When the five man group became two, Millar showed his experience, sprinting to the line in Annonay Davézieux for a well-deserved victory. The peloton made there way to the finish line, some seven minutes down on the leaders. There were no changes of consequence in the general classification heading into Stage 13 from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Le Cap d'Agde.